Robert William Barry in court charged with sexually assaulting teenagers in early 1990s

A 54-year-old man from Gosnells has appeared in court charged with committing a spate of sex attacks on teenage girls in the early 1990s.

It is alleged Robert William Barry entered a shop in the suburb of Cannington in August 1991 and committed an indecent act in front of two 16-year-old female shop assistants.

He is also accused of attacking and sexually assaulting a girl, 17, as she was walking through a shopping centre car park in Cannington in September 1991.

In another incident, police allege the man grabbed and sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl as she walked through the grounds of a school in Albany in WA's Great Southern region in March 1993.

Police said the man was interviewed on Tuesday before being charged with eight offences, including aggravated sexual assault, aggravated sexual penetration without consent and deprivation of liberty.

The court heard new DNA analysis technology allegedly linked Barry to both women who were sexually assaulted.

The police prosecutor told the court that while officers were waiting for DNA results to come back, Barry participated in an interview yesterday and made admissions to police.

The court was told Barry was a former truck driver who had been in a defacto relationship for 33 years.

The duty lawyer told the court Barry has a "stable home life" and a "solid work history".

Barry was refused bail and will appear in court again in June.

Victims of crime urged to come forward

Superintendent Peter Brianchi said although the arrest took more than 20 years, it sent a message to victims of crime that police would never give up.

"In a decade's time we are going to have better investigation techniques, we are going to have better forensic opportunities," he said.

"I understand why some [victims of crime] do not come forward, but at the same time [for] those people that have reported in the past and we weren't successful in apprehending the offender, then I would say we are still looking.

"It doesn't matter how old the crimes are, the team of investigators down at the division are very passionate about what they are doing, and we will be coming."

Superintendent Brianchi said the victims of the attacks were relieved charges had finally been laid.